LEADERSHIP LESSONS: For Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

I was thinking: “Good for you, Mr. President! As Commander in Chief of the world’s greatest military force, I am delighted to see you employ it in opposition to ISIS (ISIL) forces in Iraq.”

His decision to withdraw ground forces from Iraq should not prohibit the use of other American assets in support of peaceful, legal regimes – and in opposition to inhumane, barbaric and illegal forces in the world.

America must fulfill its God-given leadership role in the world – and that entails more than just talk. Americans do not want speeches. Americans do not want press conferences. Americans want their president in charge. Americans want a leader in his office in Washington, focused with undivided attention.

I was delighted to see Barack Obama might be coming around to that reality.

However …

A three-week vacation while our nation and the world is in serious turmoil is inappropriate. In two years the president can take off all the time he wants.

Now is the time to act like Lincoln, whom he claims to emulate. He never took a day off.

Put your golf clubs aside, Mr. President. Forget about fund-raising. Be the President of the United States. Be the Commander-in-Chief. Forget politics. Forget your handout ideology. Learn from your mistakes. Listen to advice from proven performers.

About the author: William Pauwels

William A. Pauwels, Sr. was born in Jackson Michigan to a Belgian, immigrant, entrepreneurial family. Bill is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and served in executive and/or leadership positions at Thomson Industries, Inc., Dow Corning, Loctite and Sherwin-Williams. He is currently CIO of Pauwels Private Investment Practice. He's been commenting on matters political/economic/philosophical since 1980.